Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 02 | Page 75

t cht lk UNLOCKING CRITICAL DATA AMID UTILITIES’ TECH-LED DISRUPTION Nicholas Lambrou, Managing Director A/NZ at Boomi, who has analysed the tech-led disruption experienced by Australia’s utilities industry, argues that the sector’s evolution is hampered by significant operational disparity – a hangover of legacy systems which still burden many. The Government’s 2019 Australian Energy Update noted that energy productivity improved by 20% in the past decade, with energy use per capita down and renewables use up in recent times. Two key factors to which the industry’s evolution can be attributed include changes in both the way energy is generated and consumed. Disruption of the sector will only amplify as electric vehicle (EV) adoption expands, more Internet of Things (IoT) devices go live, and advances in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence create yetundiscovered opportunities for providers to generate value for customers. New and existing technologies have also gifted industry unprecedented volumes and types of data, offering real-time information to drive more informed business decisions. This evolution, which is also underpinned by overwhelming evidence on climate change, leaves organizations needing to explore new ways to use this data to not only create operational efficiencies, but help reduce their environmental impact – whether it’s through renewables initiatives or emissions reduction “ WHILE THE UTILITIES INDUSTRY IS LEVERAGING ICT TO MODERNIZE, THE SURGE IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES IS CREATING NEW COMPLEXITIES. www.intelligentcio.com INTELLIGENTCIO 75